The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-07-29
q STUDY or SEED.
The Numerous Advantages OF Change and
OF Judicious Selection.

Numerous advantages
OF Judicious Selection.
Although but little has been written
on this subject 1t is a matter worthy
the most careful consideration of all
who have any thing to do with seeds.
That great benefits are derived in some
cases from changing seed. not only |
from one climate to another. but even |
TO different soils, can not be doubted. |
Seeds often become soil-sick and |
climate-siek, like people, need change
and are affected beneticially when that |
change is made. 1t Is generally con-
sidered that all fruits, vegetables and
seeds do best when grown in ther own
native soil. Is this truep Is 1t a fact
applicable to all seeds and plantsP
Take cotton, for instance. Cotton seed
was brought to Texas from Yucatan
where it was found to be indigenous.
Being planted and cultivated in Texas
it produced better staple and more of
it than in Yucatan. Seed was i'm ported
from Africa, British India and the
islands of the Mediterranean into the
Southern States with the same result,
showing that cotton, although trop-
ical plant, does better in temperate re-
gions. 1t is noted fact that the fur
ther North wheat can be grown the
shorter its period of maturity. Seed
taken from Canada to Kentucky, Ohio
| or Colorado, ripens earlier than the
| wheat raised in these States. But the
seed the second year loses this quality
to great extent and follows in the
same line Of the Kheats of these States.
In Sweden advantage is taken of this
in annually bringing seed wheat from
the northern extremity of the Gulf of
Bothnia, nearly under the Arctic circle,
and sowing it in land so much exposed
to cold that ordinary wheat
has scarcely time to ripen.
Wheats from the Mediterranean
their own native habitat-when
brought to this climate improve so
| greatly in color, yield and quality that
they, when compared, can not be
recognized as the same. OF the 135
different varieties of wheat 81 of oats,
Is of barley and 8 of rye received at
the Colorado Agricultural College from
foreign countries the last seven years,
not one but hes made better grain
than that received. Changing seed
has long been practiced by a few
farmers in the different States and oft
en- with excellent results-but the
change must be frequently repeated.
Some seeds run out In ashort time aud
become worthless because the soil and
climate do not agree with them
and often from want OF judicious
selection. This is the fact with
field crops to greater degree than
garden vegetables. For instance,
onion seeds coming from Africa and
grown in the Eastern States do well
for one or two seasons and then be-
come worthless Potatoes taken from
cold climate, to the Southern States
make plump tubers and good crop
after that Oats coming from Canada,
Scotland and Ireland make larger
Weld in some of the Western States
than where they came from for one or
two seasons, and after that lapse into
the same condition of production and
quality as other oats. One reason for
this is that when they are grown out
of their own range (every plant has its
native region) they soon deteriorate
and require to be renewed from seed
grown in tn at native region.
Another reason for changing seed
from one locality to another is that the
accidents and insects that prey upon
them prefer some varieties to others,
and the accidents and insects are more
abundant in those localities where the
varieties upon which they prey are
most cultivated. While a change OF
seed is beneficial, selection, very i'm
portant and closely connected with it,
should claim as much If not more at
tention from the farming community.
Much is being done by few to make
our best seeds better. Selecting the
best, crossing like species, hy bridizing.
fertilizing, cultivating, irrigating and
transpl anting are all resorted to to ac.
complish the work so necessary and
important to making the base of all oc-
cupations successful Selection pro
notes vitality, insures termination. adj.
vances growth, defines the character oi
plants, increases the yield and furnishe:
better grain for reproduction. Plant:
can be improved easily as stock Every
favor bestowed upon the cereals, il
parti cular, shows corresponding sat
isfaction in yield and quality. By {
judicious system of selection the periot
of maturity of corn, wheat, oats, bar
ley, rye and other seeds can be greatly
| shortened. This is done by taking fol
| seed the ears or heads that matur,
| earliest BY selection larger heads
more perfect grain and a greate
: amount of it can be grown on giver
space with the same fertility and at tn,
, same expense. The stover by the sam'
! means can be reduced and the graiI
; increased. Seed must be selected ever,
: year. The ''seed-patch," like the yeas
, pot, must be kept full and fresh t.
propagate the best, not only to make i
better. but to keep up the standard o
those that have reached the limit o
A improvement, if such there be.-Prot
1 f. B. Blount, in NJ Y Tribune.